I'm going to stick with my previous position the first time it was brought up, apparently going against the majority, and say I think it's a horrible idea. AJ has wretched plate discipline even when he's good, he is slow, and he's a batting average-driven player. Plus it's a waste of perfectly good RBI opportunities (RBI is a bad metric to gauge a player by, but they are more of a team stat). If you take AJ out of his spot near the bottom of the order, naturally that means you're putting someone that's not hitting there and unless they miraculously start hitting it's going to leave runners stranded just as we are now. And if they ARE hitting, then there's no need to change anything in the first place and it's a moot point.

Not as many as you think.

 

He'd only be leading off in the 1st inning.

 

Yeah I get how lineups work. Unfortunately he'd be batting after Uribe who is no guarantee to turn the lineup over or get on base.

 

I actually wanted CQ leading off before Swisher was named. But right now I find it troubling that we are trying to take the best hitter and lead him off.

The approach of a leadoff hitter is much different and I wouldn't want to mess with Quentin. Quentin has the mentality of a run producer and he has done an excellent job at that. He swings hard, but at the same time works the count and utilizes all fields (thus making him a very good all-around player). Putting at the top of the order may screw with his mentality and have him try to focus more on increasing his average and reducing his power (aka, being more hesitant to drive the ball) and that would negatively impact his production.

 

Honestly, no one on this lineup is better suited for the top of the order than AJ. He is at his best when he IS trying to hit for an average and being in the top spot of the lineup would basically play to his strength (minus the speed of course). OC is in a major bind and he looked like he was coming out of it in Seattle but has looked horrid against the Angels. Still, I think he'll find his way out of things. He's too good not to, but I think he's putting way too much pressure on himself right now and that is probably the case with a lot of the hitters (when everyone is going bad, than everyone pushes too hard and no one gets out of the funks).

it was me who posted this in another thread, and it was mostly laughed away, i even explained every single hitter's position in the lineup too

then someone else comes along and posts it and everyone thinks it's a great idea lol

 

edit: here's my post on the idea of AJ leading off http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?sh...p;#entry1637091

 

atleast I just laughed at it because I do think AJ leading off would be funny. It could quite feasibly work, but it'd be funny nonetheless.

He wouldn't be getting many infield hits I wouldn't think

He wouldn't be getting many infield hits I wouldn't think

So...you're saying...he would?

He wouldn't be getting many infield hits I wouldn't think

I really can't see the difference between infield hits and outfield hits. All the same to me.

 

I really can't see the difference between infield hits and outfield hits. All the same to me.

 

well the difference is that outfield hits generally travel a bit further

Leadoff hitters are overrated.

I've suggested AJP leading off because maybe it would give this team the spark it's been missing for 2 seasons now. It's not like him leading off would hurt someone else on the team who should be leading off, so I see no harm in this happening.

Leadoff hitters are overrated.

You are only guaranteed one at bat with no one on and no on out. So to a degree, I agree.

You are only guaranteed one at bat with no one on and no on out. So to a degree, I agree.

But at the same time, that guy is guaranteed to get the most plate appearances on your team (you'd probably want one of your best hitters to bat the most times over the course of the season) and most importantly he's the guy who hits in front of your supposed best hitters. It's not about leading off the inning, it's about leading off the batting order. So, no the leadoff spot is not "overrated" (whatever that means.)

Easy, teach Jerry Owens to play second base.

Easy, teach Jerry Owens to play second base.

Throwing to 1st with your left hand is easy.

My reaction to this?

 

Half the people were pissed at our leadoff spot the last 2 years because we didn't have any OBP there since Pods was always hurt.

 

Half the people are pissed at our leadoff spot this year because we have no speed there.

 

Therefore, you put AJ, and his low OBP and low speed there, and that should in theory make everyone unhappy!

My reaction to this?

 

Half the people were pissed at our leadoff spot the last 2 years because we didn't have any OBP there since Pods was always hurt.

 

Half the people are pissed at our leadoff spot this year because we have no speed there.

 

Therefore, you put AJ, and his low OBP and low speed there, and that should in theory make everyone unhappy!

His OBP is second highest on the team.

 

well the difference is that outfield hits generally travel a bit further

And stay in the air longer.

 

But I heard chicks dig infield hits.

 

His OBP is second highest on the team.

Which of course says a lot more about the rest of the team than it does about AJ's ability to be a good leadoff hitter.

Which of course says a lot more about the rest of the team than it does about AJ's ability to be a good leadoff hitter.

.356 ain't terrible. Its not spectacular either, but its more than a Sox leadoff hitter has put up for a number of years now.

 

But at the same time, that guy is guaranteed to get the most plate appearances on your team (you'd probably want one of your best hitters to bat the most times over the course of the season) and most importantly he's the guy who hits in front of your supposed best hitters. It's not about leading off the inning, it's about leading off the batting order. So, no the leadoff spot is not "overrated" (whatever that means.)

 

I thought you were in the camp that the leadoff spot was overrated, when did this change?

 

 

Our options have not gotten any better for the 1 and 2 holes since the beginning of the season. You know it is bad when pierzyski is batting second tonight (one prior plate appearance in his career before tonight) and when batting pierzynski in the leadoff spot is actually being thought of as an option (not a crack at who first thought it, moreso a crack at the sox...).

.356 ain't terrible. Its not spectacular either, but its more than a Sox leadoff hitter has put up for a number of years now.

Given that his career OBP is about 30 points lower than that and it's never been higher than .333 since he's been with the Sox, and only one season where he's ever had an OBP like that (2003, with .360) I would have to say I would not expect him to maintain that for much longer. Maybe he will but if he did it'd be above the norm.

I thought you were in the camp that the leadoff spot was overrated, when did this change?

Um, no. I think speed in the leadoff spot is overrated but when the guy hitting leadoff could get upwards of 720 PA in a season I'd like for the role to be filled by someone who doesn't suck. It'd be nice if the guys hitting in front of your run producers could get on base at a high rate as well.

AJ did his job in the 2-spot last night - a hit and 2 walks. Not bad.

 

But at the same time, that guy is guaranteed to get the most plate appearances on your team (you'd probably want one of your best hitters to bat the most times over the course of the season) and most importantly he's the guy who hits in front of your supposed best hitters. It's not about leading off the inning, it's about leading off the batting order. So, no the leadoff spot is not "overrated" (whatever that means.)

 

You don't know what it means, but you know it isn't?

 

Basically what I felt it means is in some circles, people believe you cannot win without a prototype lead off guy. Anything that doesn't look like Chicago's own Ricky Henderson, is a liability. We've been scoring runs with the long ball for so long, I forgot any other way. Anyone who can get on, regardless of speed is an asset. Just wait for the outfield souvenirs to arrive and trot home. In that situation the ability to steal 50 bases is vastly over rated.